Never Over
by pauloblolo47
Summary: WARNING! DO NOT READ BEFORE SEEING AVENGERS ENDGAME! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED! Just some emotional therapy from someone who was literally floored by the amazing film I saw and will likely see again.
1. Never Over

**I just Avengers Endgame (since I'm in France it releases the 24****th**** so earlier than the US) and it rocked me to my chore.**

**It affected so profoundly I had the spontaneous urge to write this short little drabble, one shot, whatever you want to call it. It's nothing amazing or mind-blowing by any stretch, just some emotional therapy for myself.**

**Enjoy it as much as you can but DEFINETLY WAIT TO HAVE SEEN AVENGERS ENDGAME BEFORE READING IT JUST TO BE SAFE. There are no real spoilers in here I think but I feel it makes more sense for you to read it after seeing the epic conclusion to Marvel 10 year monument.**

**WARNING! SPOILDER FOR AVENGERS ENDGAME!**

**WARNING! SPOILDER FOR AVENGERS ENDGAME!**

**WARNING! SPOILDER FOR AVENGERS ENDGAME!**

**WARNING! SPOILDER FOR AVENGERS ENDGAME!**

**WARNING! SPOILDER FOR AVENGERS ENDGAME!**

**YOU'VE BEEN WARNED, ENJOY.**

Peter Parker was happy. He was dying; but he was happy.

He looked over to his left at his beautiful daughter holding his hand, tears brimming in her eyes. To his left, his son, the new and only Spiderman. They were both adults now, with families, responsibilities, living in a world he'd helped save long ago.

He smiled at that distant memory. In a couple months going he's gone from "Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman" to "Galaxy Saving Avenger". He couldn't believe it then and he still couldn't quite wrap his mind around it now.

The entire fight on Titan he'd felt hopelessly out of his depth. All around him were these incredible heroes, all kicking ass and tacking names while he was just some kid who didn't even have a driver's license. He should have been terrified and he was, but he also knew this was where everything would come down. Mr Stark thought he was ready and he wasn't about to disappoint him.

That entire battle with Thanos still haunted Peter to this day. His limitless, unbeatable power that didn't falter regardless of how many attacks they pummeled him with. Even with all of their combined strengths and the element of surprise, they were still unable to stop him.

Peter shook away the memory of what happened next. He didn't want that to be his last memory. Instead he thought about everything that happened after they got everyone back. He went back to school, started dating MJ, continued to be the "Friendly Neighborhood, Occasional World-Saving Avenger, Spiderman" and over seventy years later, here he was. Two beautiful children, a new generation of heroes to continue the fight and an old one he was about to be reunited with.

As Peter felt his heart slowing down, Liz and Tony tightened their grips around their father's hands. He felt their tears fall as they leaned closer to him.

"Don't go dad, please," Tony whispered. "I'm not ready. There's still so much I don't know; you've got to teach me."

Peter smiled compassionately as he stared straight into his son's eyes.

"It's not the suit that makes the man Tony," Peter said with a smirk. "And you're a greater man than I could ever hope to be."

Tony stared back at his father for a moment before nodding resolutely in understanding. Peter turned to his daughter who was doing her best to keep her composure as the older sister.

"Stay safe. Stay together," Peter asked her, his voice growing weaker. "I love you both so much. I'm going to see them now… see them all… again…"

Peter's hands slacked; his head rolled to the side, his eye lids closed; the heart monitor by his bed flat lined, the sound echoing across the room and across the world.

Peter Parker, the first Spiderman and the last of the Avengers, had died.

Peter wasn't sure where he was.

He opened his eyes to find himself laying on the floor of a familiar looking building. Was this… the original Avengers headquarters?

He looked around him and realized that it absolutely was. He remembered the hundreds, thousands of times he'd walked these halls, as a hero and later as a consultant. It was a place of great memories, friendships and…

"Peter?" a shocked voice asked behind him.

Peter turned around slowly, unsure if he was hallucinating. It was MJ; there she was. Young and beautiful, looking just like she had when he'd first met here in high school.

In two quick leaps they were in each other's arms, tears streaming down both their cheeks.

"I missed you so much," Peter whispered. "I'm sorry I took so long, I…"

"Don't Tiger," MJ cut him off with a smile followed by a passionate kiss. "You're right on time. The party was just about to start."

Peter then recognized the distant melody of _Come and Get Your Love_ by Redbone. He looked back at MJ with a confused look but she just led him by the hand towards the music and the growing hum of voices.

Peter didn't believe his eyes. They were all here. The old breakroom of the Avengers headquarters was completely packed with all the Avengers he'd fought with long ago.

Right as he entered he saw Peter Quill and Rocket Raccoon operating the turntables and getting into a fight over which songs to play.

"Go," MJ whispered in his ear. "I'll see you later Tiger."

And with that, she moved into the crowd of people and disappeared. Peter smiled and went up two the bickering Guardians of the Galaxy who were doing their name a disservice with the insults they were throwing at each other.

Seeing Peter approach, they both stopped their bickering, huge grins taking over their faces.

"My God," Peter Quill exclaimed. "Peter what are you doing here?"

"You really want him to state the obvious Quill?" Rocket cut in sarcastically. "It's great to see ya Pete. It's been a while."

Peter tried to hold back the tears brimming in his eyes.

"Yeah Rocket, it's been a while," he replied shakily. "How are you? Is everyone here?"

"Yeah everyone's here," Rocket said. "We're getting the last touches ready and then we're gonna start the party. You should grab a seat, it's gonna be something pretty special. I think you might want to see the boss man though before we begin."

"I think I will Rocket," Peter nodded slowly. "See you later. Bye Quill."

"See ya Pete!" Starlord replied with a grin.

Peter waved at them and made his way through the crowd, trying to find his man.

He saw some of the other Guardians, T'Challa and his sister, Ant-Man, Nick Fury and so many others he'd fought alongside over the years as he made his way across the room.

Suddenly, he stopped when he glimpsed a familiar red cloak. He walked up to it and as it spun around, revealed Doctor Steven Strange, the former Sorcerer Supreme. Peter couldn't help himself and gripped the doctor in a massive bear hug which he accepted less than enthusiastically.

"Hello Peter," he grunted as he detached himself from the young man. "It's good to see you."

"Oh my god doctor Strange it's so good to see you too," Peter blurted out in tears. "The new Sorcerer Supreme isn't nearly as awesome as you."

Strange smiled benevolently at the young man. They'd always had a natural chemistry and friendship from their first meeting.

"If you're looking for your mentor, I think I saw him at the big boy table." Strange said pointing towards the far end of the room.

"Thanks doc, see you later." Peter said with a wave as he ran off where Strange had indicated.

After pushing his way through the crowd, Peter finally made it to the large circular table where the Avengers held their team meetings. Three men were seated around it, their backs turned to Peter.

"Mr Stark?" Peter asked timidly.

Steven Rogers, Thor Odinson and Tony Stark all turned towards the young man with wide smiles and smirks.

"Hey kid," Tony said with a smirk.

Peter ran into his arms and gripped him tightly in a hug which to his surprise, Tony returned. They stayed like this a couple seconds and separated before things got too awkward.

Peter smiled to Thor and Steve, shaking both of their hands.

"We were beginning to wonder if you'd ever show spider boy," Thor exclaimed with a laugh. "It seems you're a tough bug to kill."

"He got taught by the best," Steve said with a smile.

"Alright now don't get too mushy on me guys," Tony cut in as he got to his feet. "Since, you know, I can't say 'please kill me'."

Thor and Steve chuckled and followed Peter and Tony as they made their way down the stairs where everyone was waiting. They all had looks of happiness and contentment. Everything was finally right.

"Don't worry kid," Tony whispered in Peter's ear. "It's not over. It's never over. As long as there's evil, we'll be there to fight it. We're the Avengers."

Peter looked into Tony's eyes and knew what he meant.

It was never over. They would always be there.


	2. I am Iron Man

**IF YOU HAVE SOMEHOW NOT SEEN ENDGAME: ****STOP READING NOW!** (also, please go see Endgame already. If you haven't seen it at this point it feels like spoilers are fair game.)

**I would also recommend no body read this if you don't want to be bummed out for the rest of the day. Maybe save it for the evening so you can sleep on it (does this sound like gloating, I feel it kind of sounds like gloating).**

**This was a story that popped into my head and I have ideas to follow it with something else. I'll talk about it at the end. I saw that people seemed to like the first story I wrote after the release of Endgame and it seemed to resonate with some people. So if those people are still here, this is for you.  
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**.**

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* * *

_No! Not again! We're so close._

Tony Stark, safely protected by his Iron Man suit, watched the fight taking place in front of him in desperation.

The last minute arrival of Captain Marvel had allowed the Avengers to tip the battle in their favor. Tony thought that she would easily take care of Thanos but to his shock, Grimace was holding his own against 'the girl who can punch holes through a ship'.

Tony cursed his own powerlessness. He'd tried to lend a hand but Thanos had just slapped him aside like he was nothing. The same way he'd outclassed him on Titan; made him feel like a mouse trying to take a bite out of an elephant. Who was he kidding? He was just a rich guy in a fancy nanotech suit, he couldn't contend with the power these two were wielding.

_I hope they remember you._ Thanos' words echoed in Tony's mind like a nightmare. If Thanos won here, there wouldn't be anyone left to remember.

A couple feet away from him, Tony saw Thanos move the power stone off the Infinity Gauntlet and into his other hand. He used it to deliver a supercharged punch that sent Captain Marvel flying.

_Please God, no! Not again…_

Tony desperately scanned the battlefield around him. There had to be someone who could stop him. Thor? Too far away. Scarlett Witch? Couldn't see where she was. Captain Marvel was probably still counting stars. There had to be someone…

_The Wizard!_ Tony remembered.

He looked to where Dr. Strange was holding up a pillar of water to keep it from flouding the battlefield. Tony silently pleaded for him to look this way. Thanos returned the power stone to the Infinity Gauntlet and winced as he received the power of all six stones.

_Come on, Strange. You're our only hope now._

Tony followed the Sorcerer Supreme's gaze as it moved from Thanos, to him. The two men's eyes locked but before Tony could yell at him to get over here, Strange slowly raised his index finger, a solemn expression on his face.

It only took a second for Tony to understand what he was trying to say. _So, this is how it needs to go_, Tony thought sadly. _Why did it have to come to this? I'm worse than my old man._

Tony gave Strange an imperceptible nod which the sorcerer returned, a small smile gracing his features. Tony regretted not spending more time talking with him, instead of butting heads. In another life they might have been best friends. _Or mortal adversaries,_ Tony reflected.

Tony turned away from Strange and activated his thrusters at full blast, grabbing Thanos's hand just as he was about to snap his fingers. To Thanos, this was just a desperate attempt to stop the inevitable. With a cruel smile, he delivered a heavy punch that sent Tony flying back several feet.

With a look of absolute confidence, Thanos dramatically raised the Infinity Gauntlet and produced a sharp metallic snap.

Instantly, Thanos knew something was wrong. He was supposed to have erased half of all life in the universe yet he hadn't felt a thing. Not a surge of power or shooting pain. Nothing.

With an incredulous glare, Thanos turned over the Infinity Gauntlet and his eyes immediately filled with rage. Instead of six multicolored stones, there were just six empty settings. Thanos turned his gaze towards Tony who raised up his hand to reveal the Infinity Stones, merged with his armor through the nanotech.

_Who's laughing now, rake chin,_ Tony smirked to himself.

Tony's sarcasm didn't endure for very long. As soon as all the stones were set on the new glove, their combined power flowed all at once into Tony.

The pain was miles above anything Tony had ever felt. Nearly having shrapnel pierce his heart was like a bruise compared to this. It didn't even feel like one kind of pain. It was a burning, sharp, electric pain, as well as other sensations that he was among the first to ever experience. Tony could feel his entire arm and part of his torso burning up, the smell of his charred flesh making his nostrils burn.

_Why the hell would you want to put this on a second time,_ Tony thought, smiling at Thanos's outraged face.

Once the pain had subsided slightly, Tony could finally make his fingers move. Locking eyes with Thanos and raising the new Infinity Gauntlet, Tony uttered his final words:

"I am… Iron Man."

Tony focused intently on what he wanted, snapped his fingers and a blinding white light filled his mind, followed by complete darkness.

* * *

Tony vaguely remembered dragging himself to the carcass of a crashed ship, but he only gained full awareness of his surroundings when Rhodey squeezed his shoulder. Tony looked up to one of his oldest friends and did his best to muster up a smirk, despite the blood rushing out of his face.

Rhodey gave him a small nod and smile, his eyes scanning over Tony's wounds and seeing nothing good. Tony couldn't move his head to look but he imagined it was likely a charred mangled mess. He could feel nothing on his right side and the smell of char was even more pronounced.

From behind Rhodey, Peter Parker came into Tony's field of vision.

_He can't see me like this_. Tony tried to get Peter to stay away but he was unable to move; he couldn't muster the energy to make his lips move. Peter moved closer to him, desperately trying to retain his carefree nature against the pain and sadness that was creeping in.

_He isn't a kid anymore, _Tony chided himself._ He's an Avenger, remember._

"Mr. Stark?" Peter asked in a weak voice, taking a knee in front of Tony. "Hey, Mr. Stark can you hear me? It's Peter."

Tony took in Peter's ragged appearance. His face was covered with cuts and bruised, caked over by a thin layer of dust, but apart from that he seemed fine.

Tony could feel Peter holding his good hand, which Tony did his best to squeeze. The dust covering Peter's face was pushed aside by the tears that streamed down his face. His voice was hoarse; his words like a plea:

"We won, Mr. Stark. We won, Mr. Stark… We won, you did it, sir. You did it…"

Tony wanted to wrap Peter in a hug. To tell him how much he loved him and how proud he was of the man he'd become. How it had been his privilege to mentor him and perhaps be like a father to a boy he'd always treated like a son. All Tony could muster was a small smile and approving nod.

Rhodey took it as a signal to gently pry Peter away from Tony. As the young man felt Tony's grip weaken, his tears made his words even more painful for Tony:

"I'm sorry… don't go…"

_I'm the one who should apologize, Peter. I know you'll be a better hero and a better man than I ever was._

As Peter let the grief wash over him, a third person entered Tony's field of vision. One of the two women he loved most in the entire universe: Pepper Potts. She was wearing the custom armor Tony had built for her, and he thought she looked absolutely stunning.

Pepper kneeled in front of Tony, trying to summon a smile.

"Hey." she said, placing a hand over Tony's arc reactor which he covered with his undamaged hand.

"Friday?" Pepper asked Tony's AI assistant.

"_Vital functions critical"_ the female voice confirmed.

Tony smiled slightly at this painfully unfunny situation and turned his eyes away from his wife. He couldn't bare the fact he'd let her and Morgan down. The entire world would celebrate Tony Stark and Iron Man, while his daughter was forced to grow up without a father. _Some hero…_

"Tony, look at me."

Pepper's voice brought Tony back to present. He did his best to turn his head to look into her eyes. In them he saw nothing but love and affection. No bitterness. No regrets. Just pure, brimming love.

"We're going to be OK," Pepper's voice was gentle and Tony could feel all the tension in his body disappearing.

"You can rest now."

Tony felt his strength slowly leaving his body. The edges of his vision began to blur and it became harder to breath.

He could make out Pepper, Peter and Rhodey in front of him. There were other Avengers behind them but Tony couldn't make out who they were.

His eyelids started to feel heavy, it was getting harder to hold on. He could faintly hear the sounds of cries and sobs around him.

As his eyes closed and he prepared to rest, he mustered a final thought:

_Love you three thousand._

Tony Stark was at rest, and his dreams had never been more peaceful…

* * *

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**WOW! Did you make it to the end without tearing up? Even a little? If so don't worry, I was the same when writing it. My eyes were watering as I was writing in the library, it was kind of awkward. **

**And if you didn't cry, well… favorite, follow and comment your reason why ;)**

**Anyway, hope I didn't down your mood too much for the day. I know Endgame fanfictions can be pretty emotionally turbulent.**

**Also I know this isn't exactly an original story. It's literally just a retelling of what happened in the movie but bear in mind this is an emotional setup for something I'm hoping to pay off with another story. Hopefully you'll get it when said story is released (damn, what a tease I am ;)**

**As I said earlier, there will be more to this. I have an idea for at least 2 more stories related to this one. I'm not going to say exactly in what way, I just hope you'll like it when you see it.**

**If you enjoyed, please favorite, comment and follow. It's very much appreciated and helps me out a lot.**


	3. So This Is What It Feels Like

**Alright here's the second part of the potential three-part idea I've been toying with. Hopefully it should start making sense to those who are interested in these kinds of stories. My feelings for this film weren't as raw as for Endgame but I still remember how much it shattered me when I saw it in the theater.**

**I won't bore you with any more idle chit-chat. For those who want me to write on my other stories, don't worry. The next chapter of "It Started On Themyscira" is coming up.**

**Hope you enjoy this story. If you do, please favourite, comment and follow.**

* * *

_\- "Bad shit happens to the people I care about. You understand me?"_

_\- "Then I'll be fine."_

Laura's last words echoed in Logan's mind as he looked through the binoculars towards the endless Canadian forests. He'd spotted a group of drones flying towards the border; the same direction the kids were heading. But Logan's blood really started to boil when he saw the convoy of military trucks driving in the same direction.

_Those assholes just don't know when to quit_, Logan thought.

He quickly grabbed the vile of serum and a syringe from his bedside table and ran at full tilt after the children. He had to reach them before Transigen did, or failing that, help them escape to safety.

Logan ran as fast as he could. As far as his old, battered limbs would take him. But that was the inevitable truth: he was old, and injured, and dying. He could barely put one foot in front of the other and was stumbling like a drunk. He would never catch up with the kids like this, never mind protect them from Transigen's goons.

Logan brought out the vial of serum the kids had given him. _It makes you stronger, crazier and in high enough doses, it WILL kill you. _Without hesitation, Logan filled up the syringe's reservoir to the maximum and injected it directly into his neck.

Logan immediately felt the effects. He no longer felt out of breath. The throbbing pain he felt from his wounds disappeared, as did the stiffness in his joints. All his senses were turned to eleven. This feeling brought him back to when he was in his prime. Back when the X-Men were still…

_Enough dammit, _Logan cursed himself. _This is no time to fucking reminisce, old man. She needs you. They ALL need you._

Logan continued to run, following the screams and the engine roars of the military SUVs. This time his steps were precise; his vision clear. The sounds were getting louder; he was drawing close.

A squad of Transigen mercenaries were right in front of Logan. They aimed their weapons at him but he didn't slow down. In ten seconds, he'd dispatched seven soldiers like they weren't even there. His renewed powers felt incredible but he knew it would quickly come back to bite him.

After a couple more seconds of running, Logan spotted Laura, pursued by a squad of soldiers. As he moved to help her, an SUV with a mounted minigun rode up on his left side and opened fire. Logan jumped out of the way just in time. The bullet spray cut a five-meter-long trench right in front of him.

In a clearing just ahead, Logan spotted Laura surrounded by mercenaries, their guns tracked on her. Not pausing to think, Logan ran towards them, locking eyes with Laura who's face lit up when she saw him.

Logan grabbed the closest soldier and angled his rifle towards his colleague on the car-mounted minigun. Once the latter was dispatched, Laura and Logan started hacking and slicing away at the other mercenaries. Their synergy and team work was terrifying. It was as if they'd been fighting side by side for years.

They made quick work of the soldiers but reinforcements were moving towards them. This was where teamwork would make the dream work.

"Get behind me!" Logan ordered Laura who immediately got into position.

The first wave of soldiers opened fire. Logan took the full brunt of their rounds in his chest, moving closer and closer to them. Finally, when he was within reaching distance, he let loose a powerful series of stabs with his adamantium claws. Using Logan's momentum, Laura sprung off his back and attacked with a flurry of slices. Together, it took them seconds to get rid of the soldiers.

Logan saw that the wounds in his chest were no longer healing. The serum was wearing off. Laura noticed as well.

"You took all the medicine," she stated matter-of-factly, sadness in her eyes. "It's wearing off."

Logan was in too much pain to give a response. He grabbed a pistol off one of the fallen mercenaries and followed the scent of the other kids.

* * *

The convoy of military SUVs had stopped and were now surrounding the captured mutant children. They were handcuffed in a group and surveyed by guards. Dr. Zander Rice looked on from his jeep with a detachment and assuredness that pissed Logan off.

He could feel the serum taking its toll on his body. His breathing was erratic again, the stiffness in his joints was back, and of course, his healing factor was nearly gone. But all that didn't matter right now, he had a plan.

"Go to your friends. Go." Logan said to Laura. His face was growing discoloured due to being poisoned by his adamantium skeleton.

Laura wordlessly obeyed his command and started to leave.

"Laura," the young girl turned back towards Logan. "You'll know when."

She nodded and stealthily made her way to where her friends were being held.

Logan waited until Laura was out of sight before approaching the convoy. All the guards pointed their guns at him as he stumbled into the clearing. The kids watched him with a mix of fear and hope; a pretty good summation of how Logan felt at the moment.

"That green juice is wearing off, huh?" Donald Pierce asked. Logan had hated his snarky accent as soon as soon as he'd first spoken. "You know for an old mute it's kind of a short high. Be hard to keep the claws, I assume."

Pierce was holding Rictor, the de facto leader of the children, at gunpoint. Logan couldn't do anything without risking his life.

"Waist this dick, Logan!" Rictor shouted before Pierce knocked him out with the butt of his gun. Logan moved forward to attack.

"Please stop, Mr. Pierce," said Zander Rice, putting himself between them. His toothy smile made Logan want to kill him even more. "You're going to have to tell these men to fire on these children. You don't want that? You can see the effects of the serum are wearing off. He will not survive further wounds."

Dr. Rice moved closer to Logan who had to muster what little self-control he had left to not lacerate his face then and there.

"Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Zander Rice," he said in a nonchalant tone. "I believe you knew my father on the Weapon X program?"

"Yeah," Logan grunted, his sickly eyes boring into Dr. Rice. "He's the asshole who put this poison in me."

"Yes he was." Rice replied with a concurring shrug.

"I think I might have killed him." Logan said.

"I think you're right." Rice responded.

"Why don't you show some respect mutey," Pierce butted in. "You're looking at the man who wiped out your kind."

_Oh this asshole is really testing me, _Logan thought.

"My friend Donald overstates. He makes it sound more brutal than intended," Rice explained with a modest smile. "My goal was not to end mutant-kind, but to control it. I realized, we needn't stop perfecting what we eat and drink but we could use those products to perfect ourselves. To distribute gene therapy discreetly through everything from sweet-drinks to breakfast-cereals, and it worked. Random mutancy went the way of Polio. So we embarked on our next endeavor."

"Growing mutants of your own." Logan grunted, reaching his hand behind his back. He saw Laura near the guards who were holding her friends prisoner.

"Precisely." Rice said.

"It's dangerous times, James," Pierce added. "You can't— "

BANG! BANG!

The first shot hit Rice clear in the throat, the second obliterated Pierce's prosthetic hand, making him drop his gun.

Laura knew this was the signal. As two soldiers aimed their guns at Logan, she cut them down before they even knew she was there. Two other mercenaries saw her and fired at her. One of the mutant children used his powers to send an electric current though the metal frame of the SUV and directly into the soldiers, incapacitating them.

Logan moved as quickly as he could to catch Pierce and do what he should have done when he'd laid eyes on him. Logan was just about to catch Pierce when he opened the doors to the back of a transport truck.

"Showtime, boy." Pierce hollered.

Before Logan could react, he was tackled by his clone, X-24. They both fell to the ground. X-24 let out a menacing growl and they both started swinging their claws wildly at each other.

As Logan expected, he couldn't hold a candle to this genetically enhanced younger version of himself. X-24 kicked him to the ground, plunged his claws straight into Logan's back and threw him like a ragdoll into the front door of the truck. The door and Logan both hit the earth as X-24 got ready to pounce.

Just before he could sink his claws into Logan's chest, the latter used the car door as a shield to block his clone's attack. Logan then swung the door with all his might over X-24's head, knocking him to the ground. He brought the door down towards his clone's neck who caught it right before it could decapitate him.

Logan pushed with all his might but X-24 held strong, his enraged gaze falling on the body of Dr. Rice. Fueled by anger, the clone sliced off the bottom of the door, causing Logan to lose his grip. X-24 used the opportunity to throw Logan off and send him tumbling over an SUV several feet away, right next to Laura.

The young girl took one look at Logan's bleeding body and knew what she had to do. Letting out a ferocious roar, she charged X-24 and in an incredible display of agility, sent him tumbling to the ground.

Logan cursed his powerlessness to help her and desperately crawled towards Laura and X-24. He had to protect her. No matter what happened, she had to survive. Logan ignored the blazing pain coursing through his body and focused on moving forward to help Laura.

Suddenly, Logan felt something pierce his right thigh. A small metal spear, attached to a cable, was imbedded in his leg. Pierce, _the scumbag_, had shot him and was now tying the end of the cable to the tail end of the truck to keep Logan still.

A couple meters away, Laura unleashed a flurry of attacks on X-24. The clone could barely defend himself. Laura's small size and toe claws allowed her to slip under his guard and hit him from indefensible angles. But Logan knew she couldn't keep this up forever. She was growing tired, and eventually, she'd make a mistake.

Gritting his teeth, Logan cut off the tip of the spear that was stuck in his leg, just as X-24 managed to throw Laura off his back and backhand her into unconsciousness.

With Laura out of the picture, X-24's eyes again settled on Logan who stared back unflinchingly. Rictor, who'd been watching the violence in stunned silence, knew he had to act. Focusing his power, he shifted the earth under the transport truck. It lifted several meters off the ground and crashed right on top of X-24.

Everyone waited several seconds in stunned silence. They'd just defeated their last enemy; they were finally free. Logan, however, wasn't so optimistic. He'd survived worse injuries than that in the past. This would only slow him down.

With great difficulty, Logan got on his feet. He could feel his lungs filling with blood, making him cough and wheeze each time he took a breath. Laura looked at him with concern but Logan didn't have time to reassure her.

"Go!" he called to her. She went to join her friends.

"Go, go, go! Get out of here. Go!" Logan ordered the kids, as the carcass of the fallen truck started to creak.

The children were terrified. They watched with dread as the truck moved upward and X-24 emerged unscathed from the rubble.

"Go! Go, go!" Logan pushed the kids again. They watched in horror as X-24 charged Logan.

"Go, go! Get out of here!" Logan said a final time before X-24 sunk his claws into his back, then into his shoulder.

As X-24 dragged him away, Logan felt he'd reached the end of his rope. He couldn't even lift up his claws to try to free himself. Logan was literally powerless. He could only watch as his clone, eyes gleaming at Logan's pain, hauled him across the clearing and impaled his torso into a tree trunk.

_Well… looks like this is it_, Logan thought, his vision starting to blur.

He could make out X-24's face, inches away from his, snarling like a rabid dog. Logan's vision suddenly refocused when his clone stabbed him again in the chest.

_Killed by my mindless clone… How fitting._

X-24 raised his adamantium claws to deliver the killing blow. This one was headed right for Logan's heart.

_Live, Laura. Please, live… Charles, Jean, see you—_

BANG!

The single gunshot snapped Logan back to reality. X-24 had a massive chunk of his skull missing. He crumbled to the ground, dead, revealing Laura, holding a smoking revolver.

_I guess that bullet WAS meant for me,_ Logan reflected with as much humor as he could muster.

Laura threw away the gun and moved closer to Logan, looking over the blood that was leaking out of the giant shard in his abdomen.

"No. No, no, no." she whispered, rushing to Logan's side.

She hacked away at the massive splinter until it finally broke and freed Logan from the tree trunk. He slid to the ground, groaning in pain. Laura held him close.

"No, no, no…" she whimpered as she saw that none of Logan's wounds were healing.

The old mutant locked eyes with Laura, silently communicating the inevitable.

"Take your friends, and run." Logan said, struggling to pronounce each word. He could feel the blood leaving his extremities.

Laura desperately shook her head. Her face was heavy with sorrow. She couldn't do anything, she was powerless. She had seen death all her life and had been trained to be cold and uncaring in the face of it. Her training was of no use to her. Tears ran down her cheeks.

Logan fought to maintain his consciousness. He had to tell her. She had to know that everything was alright.

"They'll keep coming… You don't have to fight anymore." Logan wheezed. His face was growing pale.

Logan held Laura's hand. He saw the tears streaming down her cheeks. He couldn't believe she was crying over him. He'd been rude, distant and hostile towards her from the very beginning. If it weren't for Charles, he likely would have abandoned her when he'd first met her.

_Why are you crying, kid? Everything's alright now._

Logan remembered the decades of pain and loneliness he'd lived through. Not to mention all the years he'd forgotten but that came back to haunt him in his dreams. He'd believed for so long that his fate was inevitable. That he was destined to live as an outcast, a killer, an animal. When Charles offered him to join the X-Men, he gave Logan something he never knew he needed: a family.

_She… has to know..._

"Don't be what they made you." Logan whispered, his breathing growing shallower. "Laura… Laura."

The young girl squeezed Logan's hand tighter. She could only reply what she felt most deeply in her heart:

"Daddy."

That one word was like a bonfire lit inside Logan's soul. That word, spoken with such tenderness and geniality, was like a different language to him. He couldn't move his body but his spirit had just been given wings.

As Logan's grip started to loosen, a single tear rolled down his cheek. One of the few he'd shed in his entire life.

"So… Oh, so this is what it feels like?" Logan asked, giving a final smile to his daughter.

The edge of his vision started to blur. He could feel the blood pumping slower into his heart. He was losing his grip on consciousness. The final image he saw was Laura holding him close to her.

_I wonder if the nightmares will still be there?_

When Logan was finally at rest, the nightmares were gone. Dreams had taken their place.

_A man has to be what he is, Joey. Can't break the mold. There's no living with the killing. There's no going back. Right or wrong, it's a brand. A brand that sticks. Now, you run up home to your mother and tell her everything's alright. There are no more guns in the valley._

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**BANG!**

**Hope you like it. What did you think of its effect on you compared to the other stories that came before it? Did it affect you less, same, more? **

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